Book
Birds of prey / Wilbur Smith.
The year is 1667. Sir Francis Courtney and his son Hal are on patrol in their fighting caravel off the Agulhas Cape of South Africa. They are lying in wait for one of the treasure-laden galleons of the Dutch East India Company returning from the Orient. so begins a quest for adventure and the spoils of war that sweeps them from the settlement of Good Hope at the southern tip of Africa to the Great Horn of Ethiopia far to the north - at a time when international maritime law permitted acts of piracy, rape, and murder otherwise punishable by death. Wilbur Smith introduces a generation of the indomitable Courtneys and thrillingly re-creates their part in the struggle for supremacy and riches on the high seas.
Record details
- ISBN: 9780333653302
- ISBN: 9780312963811
- ISBN: 9780330352895
- ISBN: 9780312157913
- Physical Description: 554 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm.
- Publisher: London : Macmillan, 1997.
- Copyright: ©1997.
Content descriptions
| General Note: | Map on lining papers. |
Search for related items by subject
| Subject: | Anglo-Dutch War, 1664-1667 > Fiction. Courtney family (Fictitious characters) > Fiction. |
| Genre: | Adventure stories. Sea stories. Historical fiction. |
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Available copies
- 13 of 16 copies available at BC Interlibrary Connect. (Show)
- 1 of 1 copy available at Elkford Public Library.
Holds
- 0 current holds with 16 total copies.
Show All Copies
| Location | Call Number / Copy Notes | Barcode | Shelving Location | Holdable? | Status | Due Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elkford Public Library | FC SMI (Text) | 35170000310235 | Adult Fiction | Volume hold | Available | - |
- Booklist Reviews : Booklist Monthly Selections - #2 April 1997
Smith, author of the best-sellers River God (1994) and The Seventh Scroll (1995), offers another meticulously researched, exhaustive adventure saga in this, his latest novel. Set in 1667, the story follows the escapades of the infamous pirate Sir Francis Courteney and his son, Hal. After the Courteneys and their rough-hewn pirate crew raid a Dutch East India Company ship (in the name of the British crown), they are pursued from one end of the African coast to the other. During the chase, treacherous sea battles ensue, with gory deaths and gruesome shark and crocodile attacks thrown in for good measure. Eventually, the pirates are captured, and Sir Francis is executed, forcing young Hal to take over as leader. A swashbuckling, epic tale of love, deceit, bravery, and drama on the high seas, this book is filled with menacing pirates, honorable sea captains, treacherous and greedy men and women, and sea galleons loaded with treasure. Fans of Smith's previous work will not be disappointed. ((Reviewed April 15, 1997)) Copyright 2000 Booklist Reviews - Library Journal Reviews : LJ Reviews 1997 May
In 1667, Sir Francis Courteney commands his ship off the coast of Africa in England's war against the Dutch. He has groomed his son Hal to succeed him as captain. Birds of Prey chronicles Hal's swift and bloody passage to manhood after his father's torture and death at the hands of the Dutch. Escaping with the remaining crew, Hal makes his way overland to claim his father's hidden treasure and confront the treacherous English captain who betrayed them. Men are hacked apart in sword fights, blown to bits in shipboard battles, mauled by crocodiles, and more in this tale from the prolific author of such historical fare as The Seventh Scroll (LJ 4/15/95). Short on character development and tight plotting, this meandering escapist novel will be relished by those who enjoy swashbuckling tales with nonstop action. For popular collections. Kathy Piehl, Mankato State Univ., Minn. Copyright 1998 Library Journal Reviews - Library Journal Reviews : LJ Reviews 1997 March
More historical suspense from the best-selling author of The Seventh Scroll (LJ 4/1/95). Here, a father-and-son team prowls the oceans in search of riches. A 200,000-copy first printing. Copyright 1997 Cahners Business Information. - Publishers Weekly Reviews : PW Reviews 1997 May #2
Swashbuckling adventures at sea and on land highlight Smith's latest (after The Seventh Scroll), a number-one bestseller in England that's likely to climb the charts here. Set along the African coast during the mid-1600s, this fierce and bloody yarn features Hal Courteney, a classic seafaring hero in the making. The young sailor has been raised under the stern tutelage of his father, Sir Francis Courteney, and the somewhat gentler guidance of his African-born mentor, Aboli. Word of a truce between England and Holland doesn't reach Sir Francis in time to prevent him from capturing a treasure-laden Dutch galleon. Falsely accused of piracy, the Corteneys soon have more enemies than they can handle, including the insatiable libertine Katinka van de Velde, who sets her sights on the Courteney charge. Hal's coming-of-age is predictably spiced with romance, sea battles, imprisonments, daring escapes and an exotic voyage from Southern Africa to the Red Sea; even buried treasure and the Holy Grail figure into the plot, as befits a tale of uncompromising good guys and their irredeemably evil enemies. Smith's depiction of the African coast, and of life aboard ship, is vivid and believable. He handles the action sequences well, opting for short, trenchant paragraphs to sustain momentum. After 27 novels, Smith knows what his readers want, and once again he delivers the goods. Major ad/promo. (July) Copyright 1998 Publishers Weekly Reviews
